american community organizations and  businesses and goverment - if this wern't  so true  it might be funny

> A Japanese company (Toyota) and an American company (Ford
> Motors) decided to have a canoe race on the Missouri River.
> Both teams practiced long and hard to reach their peak
> performance before the race. On the big day, the Japanese
> won by a mile.
>
> The
> Americans, very discouraged and depressed, decided to
> investigate the
> reason for the crushing defeat. A management team made up
> of senior
> management was formed to investigate and recommend
> appropriate action.
>
> Their
> conclusion was the Japanese had 8 people rowing and 1
> person steering,
> while the American team had 7 people steering and 2 people
> rowing.
> 
> Feeling
> a deeper study was in order, American management hired a
> consulting
> company and paid them a large amount of money for a second
> opinion. They advised, of course, that too many people were
> steering the boat, while not enough people were rowing.
> 
> Not
> sure of how to utilize that information, but wanting to
> prevent another
> loss to the Japanese, the rowing team's management
> structure was
> totally reorganized to 4 steering supervisors, 2 area
> steering
> superintendents and 1 assistant superintendent steering
> manager.
> 
> They
> also implemented a new performance system that would give
> the 2 people
> rowing the boat greater incentive to work harder. It was
> called the
> 'Rowing Team Quality First Program,' with meetings,
> dinners and free
> pens for the rowers. There was discussion of getting new
> paddles,
> canoes and other equipment, extra vacation days for
> practices and
> bonuses. The pension program was trimmed to 'equal the
> competition' and
> some of the resultant savings were channeled into
> morale-boosting
> programs and teamwork posters.
> 
> The next year the Japanese won by two miles.